Running Low, Diversifying Less: How Smartphone Battery Depletion Reduces Consumer Variety Seeking

ABSTRACT Smartphones have become primary touchpoints through which consumers interact with retailers, browse assortments, and make purchase decisions. While prior research has examined how smartphone presence and digital environments influence consumer behavior, little is known about how momentary device states shape these interactive experiences. Among smartphone features, battery status represents a psychologically salient yet underexplored cue: consumers' intensive smartphone use fosters strong dependence on these devices, yet charging opportunities are not always readily available, making low‐battery situations both common and consequential. Across six experiments (total N > 2000) covering diverse product categories and both online and offline shopping contexts, we find that a low (vs. high) smartphone battery level reduces consumers' tendency to diversify their product choices. This effect is driven by diminished perceived control and is attenuated when the phone is actively charging, among consumers with lower smartphone attachment, and when choices are framed to restore control. Conceptually, this research introduces smartphone battery level as a novel contextual cue that shapes consumer choice processes and enriches the literature on variety seeking in digital consumption contexts. Practically, it offers actionable insights for marketers to leverage real‐time device states to personalize assortment presentation, promotional timing, and message framing, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of mobile and interactive marketing strategies.